About

The Philly 2600 meeting is a monthly gathering of local hackers, phreaks, nerds, geeks, activists, tinkerers, developers, infosec professionals, and other interesting people.

Philly 2600 has been meeting since the early ’90s, and was one of the first 2600 meetings started by 2600 Magazine. 2600 meetings are open to all technology enthusiasts who want mingle, teach a topic, learn something new, or hang out with like-minded people. We meet in a completely public and open area to keep things as safe and accessible as possible.

Location & Time

We meet the first Friday of the month at 30th Street Station. You will find us sitting at the tables in front of Taco Bell, which is located by the station entrance facing Market Street. This is roughly at lat/long 39.9551168,-75.1821713. Get directions via Google Maps.

Unless otherwise noted, people begin to show up between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. and stay as late as they like. Sometimes people get there earlier, but sometimes they don’t show up until much later. If you aren’t sure where the group is, grab a seat at any table and keep an eye out for people discussing tech. If you happen to arrive around 8:00 PM or later, the whole group has likely moved to Bridgewater’s Pub, a bar/resuraunt within 30th Street Station, about 50 feet west of the Taco Bell. We usually are all sitting at a table in the corner, and all ages are welcome!

In the event of a holiday or inclement weather, monitor our Twitter account for cancellations and potential rescheduling.

What do I do?

When you show up, check to see if others are already around. Many Philly 2600 members will put down some electronics on a table, or maybe the latest issue of 2600 Magaine. We usually occupy one or more tables, and several conversations can be going on at once. Feel free to join in on any conversation topic that interests you, or talk about your own. If you prefer, you can introduce yourself as a nickname, online name, or other pseudonym. Nobody will ask you for your real name, so feel free to keep things anonymous.

By the time the meeting is in full swing, we may be taking up several tables, discussing all sorts of matters from hacking, to sysadmin-ing, to infosec, and even conspiracy theories. You are not expected to come with anything prepared to talk about, so feel free to interject as you wish or just listen if that is more your speed. People will arrive and leave at any time, so don’t feel bad if you show up late or want to cut out early.

If any of this interests you, come down and check it out! Bringing friends is welcome and encouraged!

Aftermath

As stated earlier, around 8:00 PM most of the group heads over to Bridgewater’s Pub, a bar/resuraunt within 30th Street Station, about 50 feet west of the Taco Bell. We usually have a reserved table in the corner, but sometimes the group is so big we spill over into other tables. At Bridgewater’s, we essentially keep the meeting going with more conversation, and food/drinks for those wishing to partake. Bridgewater’s is open to all ages and there is no pressure to consume alcohol, so all are welcome!